Liquid fertilizer or Granular fertilizer? (organic)

[Usc529]

Okay Im looking into fertilizing my corn this year and want to use something different than blood meal so my question is what will be better and maybe last longer liquid or granular.What do some of yall guys use for fertilizing your vegetable thanks for any help.

 

[897tgigvib]

It would seem you've had a hard time with blood meal. I found by experience that blood meal is so easy to use too much, it's just a hard one to figure.

I have used Bone Meal off and on, mostly on, for decades, with great results. Some kinds are rated 1 15 0, and other kinds 5 15 0.

Some years ago I did a test, I decided to check to see how much bone meal a person could use and get the best results. I transplanted Tomato seedlings from 4" pots to gallon pots with various amounts of bone meal, from 0 dose, half dose, full dose, double dose, and on up to a 50 50 mix!

If I recall right, all plants grew at least alright! The potting soil was Coir based. I decided that past a quadruple dose was just a waste.

But realistically, using and applying a dry product in a garden means figuring the directions. I would not want to suggest a double dose for Corn, especially since I did not do the experiment on Corn. But I will say that Bone meal is good stuff, at least for starters.

There are boxed fertilizers by companies such as Whitney designed for vegetable gardens, that are made from several kinds of "meals", with things like Guano in them. I have used those, and I like them. There are brands that also come infused with beneficial microbes. One of those I can't find any more, but the one I really liked was intended for bulbs with that much higher middle number.

Corn Likes that 1st number, so look for one with that 1st number being biggest.

Also, Kelp meal is usually around 0 0 3 plus supplies micro nutrients and some also has natural growth hormones.

Not sure how corn does with fish emulsion but I think that would make a good liquid feed. Always better never to make it stronger than it says.

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Answering a fertilizer question can be hazardous to the one who tries an answer. Never use more than it says. Your soil should be tested in one way or another first also.

 

[bj taylor]

i'm no expert like marshall is. i'm more a 'follow the directions' kind of person when it comes to vegetables since i'm so new to it. last year growing tomatoes, I used ammonia sulfate (granules). I had a mega crop of tomatoes. the same guy I read suggested ammonia sulfate for corn as well (I've never grown corn). his gardening directions are specific to Texas climate.
if i'm given a choice, I prefer to use granules.

of course using ammonia sulfate is not enriching the soil, it is strictly feeding the plant at the time.

look forward to reading about your choices & what made you choose that - and reading about how your crop goes. i'm going to be trying to renovate a small pasture so I can grow crops that will feed livestock. a daunting task.

 

[digitS']

I don't think that fish emulsion could last longer, Usc529. My bottle of Alaska fish says 5-1-1 and that must be by weight. I like the stuff but a few tablespoons in a gallon of water must not be a great deal and it is mostly, whatever-doesn't-run-off-leaves. At least, that's what I imagine.

I liked to use it about 3 times on tomatoes. I've even used it is the basin for plant starts that were getting rootbound. I just used it at recommended dilution. Then, I suppose it reached the roots! Corn, I'm not too sure how much would stay on the leaves.

In recent years, I've used Whitney Farms lawn fertilizer for the corn. Unfortunately, it has been discontinued - at least, in my area. The 8% N for an organic fertilizer seemed like my best choice.

This year, I'll be using Whitney Farms Tomato & Vegetable fertilizer in the veggie garden. I'm not too happy that the numbers (3-4-2) are so low for N for the corn. The granules are easy to handle but pricy. I used composted chicken manure in the corn patch a few years ago and might just buy that just for the corn. It is still 3% N but a lot less expensive.

I hope this is of a little help.

Steve

 

[hoodat]

That's a hard question to answer. I get the best results by using rabbit manure with fish emulsion as a booster when needed. Remember that plants can only use it when it is disolved in a liquid so granular fertilizers and manures are not fast acting. In most cases they need to be worked over by soil organisms before they are ready for the plants use. The only purchased granular I use is Ironite for the trace minerals and I could probably eliminate that if I spent some time gathering kelp.

 

[Dave2000]

Granular fertilizer should last longer. You can get a higher concentration, put down less, and have it leech into the ground slower with rain or watering. What it can't do well is foliar feeding rather than burning leaves if applied when they are wet.